The Future is Now: Get Connected with SEMA Show Education
by Alana Quartuccio
The future is not solely defined as a time that is to come. There’s no expected arrival. The future isn’t marked on a calendar that hasn’t been printed yet. The future is here now, because what one does today actually sets the tone for tomorrow!
This is especially true in the ever-changing and advancing collision repair world. The introduction of new trends and technologies can be overwhelming at times, indirectly causing even the most engaged collision repair professional to become disjointed.
One of the best ways to get connected is to spend an entire week devoted to collision repair, and the SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center (November 5 – November 8) has it ALL! The Collision Industry Conference and its Red Carpet Awards are always among the biggest attractions, while the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is equipped to fasten repairers with a complete educational package designed to leave every repair professional with the intellectual tools they need to combat challenges with AI, ADAS and telematics, to name a few. SCRS’ offering does not stop there. There’s also the always-insightful IDEAS Collide Showcase and the opportunity to witness the intelligence and mechanics behind tomorrow’s vehicles via the OEM Summit – a one-of-a-kind experience. And it would not be a true collision repair experience in Las Vegas without attending SCRS’ Sky Villa Afterparty.
One must also leave time to scope out the upper level of the South Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center to see and feel all the many tools and resources available to help equip one’s shop for today and tomorrow.
Turn the pages to get the details on the who, what, where and when so you can map out your week and soak up as much information as possible while having fun in the process. Remember, the future is already here, and SEMA 2024 is the perfect bridge to ensuring you have the knowledge and insights to keep pace with what’s happening now and what’s on the horizon!
Tuesday, November 5
On the Agenda:
CIC 8am-5pm Westgate Ballroom AB
SEMA Show 9am – 5pm LVCC South Hall
RDE Education 9:30am – 4pm
LVCC South Hall Skybridge Classrooms
CIC Reception 6pm Westgate Ballroom C
Collision Industry Red Carpet Awards Night
7:30pm Westgate Ballroom AB
Chances are you’ve already been in town for a day or two and taken advantage of the downtime to relax, recharge and ready yourself for the hefty SEMA agenda that Tuesday has in store.
A full day of conference, education and celebration awaits!
CIC gets underway bright and early at 8am at the Westgate Resort and Casino. Find a colleague, take a seat, get out your notebook and listen closely as CIC Chairman Dan Risley sets the stage for a day of captivating conversations all focused on protecting the consumer in the “empty chair.”
On behalf of the Data Access, Privacy and Security Committee, Trent Tinsley (Entegral) and Pete Tagliapietra (DataTouch) will provide best practices for protecting one’s business from harmful security risks like ransomware with “Industry PSA: Data and Cyber Protections, Impacts to Business.”
Continuing on the theme of risk protection, get all you need to know about the complex collision repair space of today and tomorrow with “Risk and Liabilities in Collision Repair,” put on by the Industry Relations Committee’s panel of experts. Become more in tune with what you need to do in order to make your business attractive to new talent as Bud Center (I-CAR) will lead the Talent and Education Committee’s panel discussion, “Is Your Brand and Culture Attractive to New Talent?”
Low-voltage best practices will once again take center stage as the Emerging Technologies Committee takes “OEMs Talk Best Practices for Low Voltage Control Systems” one step further with OEM representatives providing specifics for their respective brands. The morning session concludes when the Governmental Committee presents “Balancing a Constructive Relationship with Public Entities while Avoiding Overreach.” Hear from panelists who will share experiences with governmental interaction and the positive and negative effects as a result.
When CIC resumes for its afternoon sessions, see Danny Gredinberg (Database Enhancement Gateway) and Erin Solis (Certified Collision Group) of the CIC Estimating and Repair Planning Committee to present “The ‘Forgettables:’ Repair Planning for Indirect Repair Operations,” which will explore the research that is necessary beyond the damage.
Kye Yeung (European Motor Car Works) and Barry Dorn (Dorn’s Body & Paint) of the Repair Process and Procedures Committee will educate collision repair professionals so they “Don’t ‘Set Up’ for Failure.” Learn all the considerations necessary for proper frame setup.
While you have that notebook out, be sure to note the new definitions for calibration terms submitted by the Emerging Technologies Committee.
Led by SCRS’ Aaron Schulenburg and Jeff Wildman (BASF), the Parts and Materials Committee will launch a discussion on “The CAPA Tier 1 Part Verification Process,” diving into what the CAPA verification process involves and the entities involved in this new parts designation process.
CIC surely provides a full day of insight and intellect, but if the classroom environment is more your speed, then start your day with SCRS’ RDE classes, taking place all day in the LVCC South Hall Skybridge classrooms.
You won’t want to miss Sheryl Driggers (Collision Advice) kick things off at 9:30am by challenging body shop owners to take a good hard look at the customer service experience. So head on over to S229 to learn what goes into “Creating an Extraordinary Customer Experience.”
Your other RDE options from 9:30am to 11am include:
“Crafting a Collision Repair Powerhouse Through Process and Technology” (Taylor Moss, RepairLogic) in S230, and “Unleashing Paint Department Efficiency” (John Ascheman and Jason Garfoot, 3M Collision) in S231.
Lunchtime can bring you the opportunity to stretch your legs by walking the exhibitor hall, but most likely, you will want to secure a front row seat for the most dynamic speaker in the business! The one and only Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) will take the RDE stage at noon to inspire repairers with ways to combat insurer pushback during “Negotiation Best Practices, with Inspiration from Never Split the Difference.” Your other RDE option from 12pm to 1:30pm is “How to Catch Talent and Keep It” (Kena Dacus, Dacus Auto Body and Collision Repair) in S230.
From 2:30pm to 4pm, score a touchdown in S231 with “Revolutionizing Collision Centers: The Impact of Interconnectivity, Data and Innovation Inspired by the NFL” as BASF’s Jeff Wildman and Phil Knapp discuss how the automotive industry is transforming by way of the connected car and how that is enhancing vehicle safety and improving the passenger experience.
Your other RDE options from 2:30pm to 4pm include:
“Collision Repair Marketing for the Digital Age: Engaging Gen Y and Gen Z Customers” (Nick Schoolcraft, Phoenix Solutions Group) in S229, and “The Business of Processing a Total Loss Vehicle – A Job Cost Approach” (Tim Ronak and Tony Adams, AkzoNobel) in S230.
Spend the last hour of the show perusing the exhibits in the South Hall before heading to your hotel to get dolled up for an exciting evening starting with the CIC Reception at 6pm and the Collision Industry Red Carpet Awards Night at 7:30pm, all happening at the Westgate Hotel. A magical night awaits!
Wednesday, November 6
On the Agenda:
SEMA Show 9am – 5pm LVCC South Hall
RDE Education 9:30am – 4pm
LVCC South Hall Skybridge Classrooms
*Catch classes on Restoring ADAS Safety Systems,
Leveraging AI, Repair Planning, Glue Pull Repair and more
IDEAS Collide 2:30pm – 4pm
LVCC South Hall Skybridge Classrooms
Day two allows you to plug in to opportunities to grow your business by listening to some of the industry’s best speakers as SCRS’ RDE series continues over at the LVCC South Hall Skybridge. The exhibit floor opens at 9am sharp, so you have some time to walk the aisles, grab some brochures and interact with vendors you’re interested in learning more about.
Make sure to get to classroom S231 by 9:30am to hear from Andrew Batenhorst (Pacific BMW Collision Center) and Dr. David Ghodoussi (Opti-Coat) who will inform repair professionals about “The Benefits of Ceramic Coating for Your Customer and Your Collision Center.” The latest technology in car paint protection – ceramic coatings – are noted to have grown the last several years. Batenhorst and Ghodoussi will explore the opportunity this provides and how to share that with your customers.
Perhaps you want to focus on ADAS calibrations or repair planning instead? If so, you can catch one of the other RDE presentations taking place at 9:30am-11am: “Industry Realities of Restoring ADAS Safety Systems and Customer Confidence Through Calibration” (Panelists include Frank Phillips from ADAS Solutions USA Inc., Joel Adcock of REVV, Christina Sepulveda with SPARK Underwriters and I-CAR’s Scott VanHulle) in S230, or “Repair Planning with Precision” (Danyon Kirchner, Zimmerman Auto Body Supplies and Danny Gredinberg, Database Enhancement Gateway) in S229.
After taking a stroll on the exhibit floor and grabbing some lunch, head back to the classrooms to catch an insightful discussion led by Barry Dorn (Dorn’s Body & Paint), Kris Burton (Rosslyn Auto Body) and Michael Bradshaw (K&M Collision). The three shop owners will share their own experiences on how they transformed their businesses for the better via “Efficiency Unleashed: Rethinking Roles in Collision Repair.” This worthwhile discussion will take place in S231 beginning at 12pm.
Other options down the hall between 12pm and 1:30pm include: “AI is Here: How Others are Leveraging AI Interactions with Automotive Consumers” (Ryan Taylor, BodyShop Booster) in S229, and “Lateral Tension and Push Tools are Taking GPR to a New Level” (Chris White and Danny Hacker, KECO Body Repair Products) in S230.
Don’t wander too far away during the break as one of the most exciting events of the year goes down at 2:30pm when the IDEAS Collide Showcase gets going. This popular segment features five industry professionals who will offer up fresh insight and innovations in a “TED Talk”-styled forum. Those engaging presentations include “The Era of the Single-store Generalist Body Shop is Coming to an End” (Cole Strandberg, FOCUS Investment Banking); “UN-Divide and Conquer” (Jill Tuggle, Auto Body Association of Texas); “Sustainability’s Role in Every Layer of Collision Repair” (Christian Ruecker, DEKRA North America); “Peak Blue-Collar: The Evolution of Collision Repair Shops into White-Collar Enterprises” (Bill Park, Crunchit Financial Services); and “The Fine Print of REPAIR Politics” (Wayne Weikel, Alliance for Automotive Innovation).
After exploring all these great IDEAS, there’s only one thing left to do – head out for a night on the town with your colleagues!
Thursday, November 7
On the Agenda:
SEMA Show 9am – 5pm LVCC South Hall
RDE Education 9am – 4pm
LVCC South Hall Skybridge Classrooms
SCRS OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit
12:30-4:30pm LVCC South Hall Skybridge Classrooms
SCRS Sky Villa RDE Afterparty 9pm -12am
Westgate’s Versailles Sky Villa
Thursday’s itinerary kicks off with an important, can’t-miss presentation from SCRS’ Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg on the outcomes that have come as a result of the “blend study” revealed during SEMA 2022, so be sure to head over to the LVCC South Hall Skybridge Classrooms by 9:30am. In this special FREE session, “Blend Outcomes in Black and White: Using Documentation to Drive Informed Conversation About Blending,” Schulenburg will review the response from information providers and advise painters and repair planners on how to have the right conversations when it comes to application of refinish for color match.
After taking a stroll through the halls, be sure to visit the SCRS booth to grab a pass to the SCRS Sky Villa RDE Afterparty taking place at the Westgate Hotel! Be sure to head back to S233 by 12:30 pm as the OEM Summit gets underway with Session 1: The Value of OEM Repair Information. Rivian team leaders Dan Black, David Sosa and Kelly Logan will present on the process an automaker undertakes to research, develop, validate and publish new repair procedures for the industry.
From 2pm to 3pm, Session II: How Telematics Technologies are Evolving the Consumer Experience will feature Ryan McMahon (Cambridge Mobile Telematics), Hillary Cain (Alliance for Automotive Innovation) and John Eck (General Motors) who will outline how the consumer experience is changing thanks to telematics enhancing crash detection, accident reconstruction and consumer communication.
Session III: Laser Welding in Automotive and Aerospace Manufacturing and Developing Technologies for Repair Solutions will close out the OEM Summit at 3:30pm. Rex Alexandre (Handheld Laser Institute and former Sr. Welding Engineer for SpaceX ), Dean Brennan (IPG Photonics) and Jeff Poole (I-CAR) will inform attendees about the role laser welding plays in OEM automotive and aerospace production and how handheld laser welding technologies for repair process solutions are evolving.
The conclusion of the OEM Summit at 4:30pm signals the completion of the learning portion of the day, but the day is still young, and the night has plenty in store. Grab some dinner and explore the Las Vegas Strip, but be sure to be back at the Westgate’s Versailles Sky Villa by 9pm to have the time of your life at SCRS’ RDE Afterparty!
Friday, November 8
As you prepare to head home, make sure you take one last lap around the South Hall to see what exhibitors have to offer! If you’re staying in town one more night, you can get tickets for SEMA Fest – the ultimate afterparty celebration featuring live performances by Sublime, Cage the Elephant and more! Visit semashow.com for more information.
All good things must come to an end, including SEMA 2024. But the connections you’ve made and the knowledge you’ve absorbed will continue to flow as you take it all back to your shop. Remember, the future is here. What you do today WILL have positive effects tomorrow.
*All events/times are subject to change.
Want more? Check out the November 2024 issue of Hammer & Dolly!